Increased earnings recorded by Cashel Blue's manufacturer, intending to channel funds towards additional capital investments
Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers, the renowned Irish cheesemaker behind the award-winning Cashel Blue, has reported a profit of over €960,000 in the 2024 financial year, marking a slight increase from the previous year's €951,000. This profit surge is a testament to the company's strategic approach and resilience in the face of rising costs.
Current Strategies
The company's strategic approach is centred around prudent financial management and a commitment to sustainability. Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers is reaping the benefits of profitability, with post-tax profits being earmarked for further capital investment to support business growth and adapt to rising costs across the supply chain. The company has acknowledged significant increases in costs—ranging from inputs to logistics—and is actively seeking ways to offset these pressures through reinvestment in the business.
In terms of sustainability, the dairy has made strides, with over 60% of its energy now derived from solar power, reflecting a commitment to reducing environmental impact and potentially lowering long-term operational costs.
Market Presence and Product Focus
Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers remains an established name in the Irish food sector, renowned for its award-winning Cashel Blue cheese. The company continues to emphasize quality, leveraging its reputation to maintain and potentially expand its customer base both domestically and internationally. There is a growing consumer trend toward supporting local and artisanal producers, with Cashel Blue cheese featured in promotions highlighting the value of buying from domestic cheesemakers.
Future Plans
The stated aim is to use rising profits to fund additional capital investment, which suggests upgrades in production capacity, technology, or infrastructure to facilitate further growth and efficiency. While specific new markets are not detailed, the company is listed among businesses with clear expansion plans, indicating an intention to grow beyond its current footprint, likely leveraging its established brand and the increasing global demand for premium artisan cheeses.
Continued investment in renewable energy and sustainable practices is likely, as the transition to solar power has already set a precedent for forward-looking environmental strategies.
Outlook
Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers is positioned for growth, combining prudent financial management, a commitment to sustainability, and a strong brand reputation. The company’s immediate future appears focused on reinvesting profits into capital projects that support both expansion and resilience against rising costs, while continuing to leverage its environmental credentials and artisanal quality in both existing and new markets.
The brand, Cashel Blue, was created by Louis and Jane Grubb in 1984 and has been made by hand on the same farmland since its foundation. The brand is now led by a new generation of the family: Sarah Furno and Sergio Furno, the founders' daughter and her husband.
Despite the market turmoil, the company has found opportunities in the current circumstances, with interest from new markets in their product. However, tariffs may impact the company's exports to the US, but they have a small portion of their exports exposed to that market. Cashel Blue is based in Fethard, Co Tipperary. Accumulated profits stood at €9.2 million by the end of 2024.
J & L Grubb Limited is a sustainable, family-based rural business that hires locally and uses locally produced milk. The company made a "huge capital investment" in 2010, and the spokesman stated that every cost has increased in 2024. However, 2023 was a "particularly good year" for the company, with the food sector generally benefiting from a "post-Covid bounce". By the end of 2024, more than €500,000 worth of finished goods were in stock.
- Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers, known for its award-winning Cashel Blue cheese, has strategically allocated its post-tax profits towards capital investment, aiming to support business growth, adapt to rising costs across the supply chain, and potentially expand its market presence both domestically and internationally.
- The finance-driven plans of Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers extend beyond the food-and-drink sector, as they seek to leverage their profitability in the business world, aiming to expand their operations, upgrade production capacity, and pursue strategic growth initiatives.
